Maurice Durufle plays Maurice Durufle at St Thomas NYC

[senzasordini]

6.04 and forward...

[pbj4toast]

Such beautiful photos of this marvelous cathedral!

[russedav5]

Fabulous Madame Duruflé was often his chosen interpreter as she was his better as organ technicality, especially after the car accident that disabled him, but of course without his marvelous compositions, nothing, a beautiful pair a man and his devoted wife who thankfully would hide his music to keep him from destroying it in his perfectionist fits of rage without which devotion we'd not have some of it!

[MrBooker39]

This is just wonderful! A gorgeous piece, masterfully played. The organ sounds superb; did I read in the NY Times not long ago that the church claims that it's of inferior quality/design and needs to be replaced? This performance would seem to call that viewpoint into question!

Thanks.

[russedav5]

@MrBooker39

probably not "inferior quality" but pipe organs do need maintenance and rebuilding and an aggressive organist often has ideas on new things, though as huge as St. Thomas is, one of the largest organs in the world, there's not much of an argument to be made about actually NEEDING anything. I have an LP recording of Marcel Dupré playing Franck's 3 Chorales there and it's just stunning, something I rarely say about combining Franck and a non-Cavaille Coll organ!

[taishob]

I have an immaculate MHS LP (Picked up at Tower Records annex in 1996) of Msr. Duruflé and Mme. Duruflé (Can't remember who played which parts...) playing Veni Creator (with choir), Scherzo, P & F sur le Nomme Alain, and the Suite, Op. 5 w/ no 3rd movement. Of course, He hated the movement and thought it literally sounded like a trainwreck. Too bad, because it's fantastic all the same.

[taishob]

I have an immaculate MHS LP (Picked up at Tower Records annex in 1996) of Msr. Duruflé and Mme. Duruflé (Can't remember who played which parts...) playing Veni Creator (with choir), Scherzo, P & F sur le Nomme Alain, and the Suite, Op. 5 w/ no 3rd movement. (Sounds very much like the version presented here.) Of course, He hated the movement and thought it literally sounded like a trainwreck. Too bad, because it's fantastic all the same.

[gjmrs]

Incredible to hear how he performed this. It's much faster than expected, though Herndon Spillman has said that Durufle often revised the tempi of his own works, not just due to acoustical properties. Mind you, when this recording was taken, Durufle was suffering from back trouble, so perhaps he was rushing to get off the bench!? Still, superb to hear though. Incindentally, this was the tour that introduced the US to Mme Chevalier-Durufle!

[BSMHardmy]

Thank you for this. I didn't know that Duruflé recorded in the USA.

But for sure this is not the only recording featuring Duruflé playing Duruflé. There is the Veni Creator, Sicilienne (and Prélude en mi b). All played at Soisson cathedral. I have to check in my discs when it was.

[willowthebored]

@BSMHardmy

If you find out, would you mind sending me the CD names (or whatever I need to find them), or post them? I'd love to hear him performing the Veni Creator, that's by far my favorite piece of music. Period.

[bombarde1701a]

@BSMHardmy I have the Durufles playing at teh Basilica in Washington DC..

[willowthebored]

...This is excellent stuff! :D I didn't know Durufle had ever recorded any of his own music; is it out on CD? Where can I buy it? This would be a great aid in understanding how to perform his works.

[tjugofyra]

@willowthebored

There are some more recordings of him playing his own works. I know one of him playing this exact piece on another organ.

[Doug19752533]

@willowthebored ive heard of a recording where he conducts his Requiem and the Mass "Cum Jubilo" with his wife on the organ... i use to have a CD of him conducting the 3 dances for orchestra also, i think it is still available